1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an above ground swimming pool, and more particularly, to a swimming pool having an improved coping structure and upstanding posts.
2. Description of the Prior
Present day above ground pools generally have posts and coping structures supporting a single endless side panel forming the lateral pool wall. However, most such structures rely on nuts and bolts to connect together the many elements involved. For an above ground pool whose typical perimeter measures over 80 feet, the number of support posts and coping sections is large, and as a result, the number of nuts and bolts that must be utilized is considerably large. The manipulation of fasteners, such as nuts and bolts, requires an inordinate amount of labor at the site.
Since the support posts and coping elements must form an enclosed loop, the elements forming it must be produced with precision. There can be very little tolerance when erecting a structure whose perimeter would measure over 80 feet.
Examples of previous designs of above ground pools are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,274,621, Diemond et al, 1966; U.S. Pat. No. 3,869,736, Valois et al, 1975; U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,361, Wolf et al, 1983; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,155,872, Aymes, 1992. Each one of these pools shows the necessity of precision in the fabrication of support posts, coping sections, upper rails and lower rails. Even assuming relatively low tolerances in the fabrication of swimming pool components, imprecise connections will still occur because of the accumulation of small errors over the relatively long perimeter of a pool wall being formed. These problems will occur at the installation phase and must be overcome by altering the last components to be mounted, on site, in order to get the parts to fit.
U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/871,539 filed Jun. 9, 1997 by the applicant, describes an above ground pool with elements such as support posts, coping components and fastening means, that are molded of plastics material especially employing blow-molding techniques. Said blow-molding techniques being chosen for their structural characteristics and because the elements are hollow, permitting the filling of such elements with sand, water or even concrete, providing further structural integrity. Since it is practically impossible to blow-mold components with small dimensional tolerances, it would not be possible to produce a practical, large, above ground swimming pool made of blow-molded components without allowing for some degree of adjustment of the parts.
The present invention is an improvement over patent application Ser. No. 08/871,539 in that a single type of post may be molded and used to provide lateral support for round and straight sections of the pool wall instead of two different types of posts which are of different design and thus requiring different moulds and inventories.
The present invention is a further improvement over the pool system described in patent application Ser. No. 08/871,539 by improving the telescopic engagement of the coping members leading to improved pool wall integrity.
The present invention further employs an improved single and simple type of fastener to more efficiently deal with the mechanical stresses that may otherwise affect this type of fastener.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an above ground pool with improved lateral support posts of a single and simple design but at the same time suited to provide support for both curved and straight sections of the pool wall.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide upper rails or coping elements, with an improved way of interlocking into each other, through an adjustable telescoping action, with adjustment limiting and locking features that maintain the integrity of the pool wall even with prolonged use and subjection to mechanical stress.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide an above ground pool having post, coping and lower track components that are manufactured by blow molding techniques.
It is still a further aim of the present invention to provide an above ground pool structure that utilizes a minimum of and preferably no conventional fasteners such as rivets, screws, or nuts and bolts.
It is a further aim of the present invention to provide an improved, simple, one-piece fastener that can be utilized with the components of the present invention. The present fastener design, which eliminates the necessity of using a large number of nuts and bolts, can resist prolonged use and mechanical stress to keep parts fastened.
The single fastener lends itself to a unique tool for tightening or unlocking the fastener.
In one aspect of the present invention, a kit for an above ground pool is provided comprising a plurality of hollow posts each molded in one piece from plastics material and having a base portion and a top portion with a coping seat, the base portion having a cross-sectional dimension that is greater than a cross-sectional dimension of the top portion, a plurality of hollow coping elements each molded in one piece from plastics material and having one end with a female coupling member and the other end of the coping member having a male coupling member adapted to engage the female coupling member, and a fastener adapted to engage the male and female coupling members when they are coupled end to end and coincident with the coping seat on the top of one of the posts, whereby the fastening member will engage the post and fix the male and female coupling members of adjacent coping members, the kit also including a pool panel and a pool liner adapted to be supported by the coping so formed.
One aspect of the present invention comprises a kit for an above ground pool, including a plurality of support posts with each molded in one piece from plastics material and having a base portion and a top portion with a coping seat. A support augmentation member is associated with each support post to be anchored in the ground and to be attached to the respective support post in order to provide augmented lateral support for straight sections of the pool wall.
In another aspect of the present invention there are a plurality of coping elements, each molded in one piece from plastics material, comprising a female coupling member at one end and a male coupling member at the other. The male coupling member of the coping element being longitudinally slotted and adapted for telescopic engagement with a female coupling member, wherein the female coupling member includes a socket for receiving the male coupling member.
More specifically, the socket is defined by a top wall and side walls, the top wall defining an opening coincident with the slot in the male coupling member, the side walls including locking means within the socket cooperating with complementary locking means on the male coupling member for locking the male coupling member and the female coupling member at a selected telescopic position.
In yet another aspect of the present invention a one-piece fastening member is provided to engage the coupled male and female coupling members coincident with the coping seat on the top of the support post whereby the fastening member will extend through the opening in the female coupling member, the slot in the male coupling member and an opening in the coping seat on the support post to engage the support post, the male and female coupling members of adjacent coping members and to keep these members joined together.
Such an above ground pool kit also includes bottom rail sections, a pool panel, and a pool liner adapted to be supported by support posts and the coping so formed.
In another aspect of the present invention a kit is provided for an above-ground liquid containing pool comprising posts to be spaced apart, coping members adapted to extend between each post, characterized in that the posts and coping members are hollow, one-piece, blow molded parts with at least the posts being filled with ballast material.
The present invention also includes a method of manufacturing components for an above ground pool kit that comprises a plurality of posts adapted be spaced apart and upstanding and coping members to be joined end to end at the top of each posts including the steps of molding each post and coping member by blow molding techniques in order to provide finished components for the kit.